Music Production or "How I Started a
Recording Studio Without Even Trying .."
How to Get Started in a
Music Production Career
I have been involved in home music
production for a number of years. It actually started in
high school. I was in a band, and we were convinced that we
were going to be famous.
I suppose that this is not an uncommon
dream, but it was still very important to all of us. We knew
that we couldn't get recorded – we could barely play
our instruments – but nonetheless, we wanted to make
our own music products.
We found a used 8-track in one of our
friends basements, got a few microphones together, and set
up a music production studio for little more than 80 bucks.
At the time, it was a lot of money for us, but nonetheless
we could scrape it together. The music we made was awful,
but we had a fun time making it.
Getting Serious about Music
Production
My music production career got a
little bit more serious in college. I was still doing it as
a hobby, but I was actually making some decent music. We
would do a lot of remixing work, using music production CDs
to spice up the effects.
** Be Very Careful When Using Other
People's Music Recordings
Unfortunately, in addition to royalty
free music samples, we also used some uncleared samples. We
thought that, because we were staying underground, we
wouldn't get caught. Nonetheless, someone's recording studio
must have been pretty on the ball. They called us up and
sent a cease-and-desist order. We got so scared that we
scrapped the studio. That was the end of my amateur music
productions career.
Nonetheless, it wasn't the end of my
interest in music. On the contrary, my desire to get
involved in music production grew. I realized that I could
make a career as a music producer. I was good – a lot
of people in the local music scene had said so.
Music Production Schools
Unfortunately, being good isn't good
enough. You have to go to a music production school
nowadays. Gone are the days when unknown music producers,
working out of their basements, could change the music scene
forever. Everything has gotten so top-down that a music
production education is really required.
Starting a Career as a Music
Producer
Entering my first year in music
production school, I am pretty glad that I decided to go
this way. Toiling in its obscurity is okay when you are
young, but I am getting older now. I either need to take it
to the level of a serious career, or give it up and find a
way to make money.
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